Best things to do in Alwar and sightseeing in Alwar

Situated close to the vibrant city of Jaipur, Alwar is a perfect weekend getaway. Home to the wonderful Sariska Tiger Reserve, the grand City Palace and the stunning Siliserh Lake, Alwar offers you a mix of history, architecture and nature.
Though the Sariska Tiger Reserve is perhaps the best way to spend your time in Alwar, you can also spend a little time exploring the lake and Government Museum. When visiting the reserve, do book a safari in advance lest you miss out on a great slot. Early mornings and early evenings are the best way to explore the reserve. Boasting of tigers, including the Bengal Tiger, the reserve is home to the Indian Leopard, Indian Jackal, Sambhar and Wild Boars. Of course, you'll also spot monkeys making a ruckus and a crowd of Neelgais and that is quite fun to watch as well. Avoid eating anything while on the safari since it's a strict no.
The Siliserh Lake is another lovely spot where you can indulge in a bit of boating and a delicious lunch. The food here is a bit on the expensive side but it's totally worth it. While here, you can also take a trip to City Palace. You may feel that there are tons of palaces around Rajasthan that are way more beautiful, but this one has its own charm. Away from the chaos of the main city, it offers you a respite from dilapidated, ill maintained forts.
Do try food at one of the restaurants in the city. Not only is the food delicious, the hospitality is warm and adds to the meal.

Sariska National Park - Alwar

There is a news of declining number of tigers everyday and the Sariska National Park is trying to stop this tragedy as much as it can. This national park nestled in the lap of the Aravalli Range is mostly known for its contribution to the 'Project Tiger'. In the year 1958, this park was declared as National park as well as a wildlife sanctuary as before this, the whole area was just a place where animals used to live. The most attractive part about this national park is that you het tp see a variety of tigers here. There are other animals as well and the flora includes a number of medicinal herbs and plants other than many other species. Also good to see is the love with which the animals are kept here. There is no trapping them like most conventional zoos. They are all set free and let to roam around like they would have done in a forest but with the safety of not being poached for fun and entertainment. The kankwari Fort is another attraction which forms a part of this National Park.

It is famous for Indian tigers, Safaris and bird-watching. Early morning is the best time to visit the place. The most enjoyable part is the drive through the park.

Nancy Nance

686 Followers, 187 Reviews

We were lucky enough to beat the traffic and were running ahead of the planned time or so we thought. An idea popped up in Mr Bulty's mind(Founder of RoadRunner) that since we are ahead of time we might as well cover the beautiful Sariska National Park. We all stood by his decision and took the detour towards National Park from the multilane highway. The multilane superfast highway suddenly became a two way road traversing through countless villages and trees on both side and yes potholes too. I was kind of enjoying the roads, and decide to stop for the first photobreak. We spend a lot of time on that break, a little too much I guess. It was almost lunchtime by the time we arrived at the sariska safari point only to found out that there are no safaris until next hour or so. Hungry we decided to move on and return to the point where we saw the small hotel. We decided to stop for lunch. Earlier I was sceptical about the place and food offered there. Obviously didn't want to upset my stomach first day of the trip. At the end I end up eating more than what I normally eat, the food was delicious, served with love and very well can be the best meal of the entire trip. One thing was clear to me that in Rajasthan the least I would get will be the good food.

Achal Gupta

179 Followers, 42 Reviews

The trip to Sariska and back takes almost a full day, so it is advisable to keep aside a day for this. Also, an effort should be made to go earlier in the day to be able to view the most animals. There is a Hanuman mandir inside the reserve which is also pretty famous.
But the best part of Sariska for me was a 9th century Shiva temple which our driver took us to. The road to the temple was horrible, but it was so worth it. The temple is stunning example of ancient architecture and carvings. I would recommend it to everyone (but i don't know the exact name of the place).

Vinay Vilas Palace - Alwar

This palace was built in the 18th century and just like the name suggests, it was built by Maharaja Vinay Vilas. This palace is also known as the City Palace of Alwar and is the main palace in this city. The beautiful monument is a pure and perfect blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. This is an evidence of the relations between the two empires in spite of all the battles and wars. There are a number of other attractions inside the monument. The most important ones out of these are the Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri, Purjan Vihar, the beautiful, artificial lake built by the Maharja himself and the Alwar Museum of course. The Alwar Museum is the most popular out of all and has a vast collection of antiques. There is a huge collection of manuscripts in various languages such as Persian, Urdu and Sanskrit. Some of these are Bostan, Waqiat-e- Babri, Gulistan and others written during the Mughal period goving a vivid account of the royal life of the Mughals. There is also a division of the museum where you will find a collection of weapons of the Indian Army and there is a huge collection of beautiful paintings as well.

If you dig artefacts, historical monuments... this is the place for you to be. The palace is extravagant with the Durbar Hall being one of the most focused space in the palace. Now this palace turned museum exhibits the cultures and treasures of the Rajputanas and the mughals to some extent.

Ankita Misra

458 Followers, 70 Reviews

Best time to visit

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Things to do

History tours, photography

Open Hours

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Closed on every Friday

Budget

Rs 3 per person

Bala Quila - Alwar

Another hostorically rich place in the Aravallis, this fort is situated in the northenmost corner of the Aravalli Range in the Alwar District. The fort was built many years ago and is at presently completely in ruins. Only the huge Eastern Entrance is still intact and this shows that whatever attacks it has faced were all from the other side. The good part is that theauthorities are working towards repairing this whole place and trying to bring back at least a major part of the former glory. You need to obtain a written police permission to enter this fort premises. If you are unawre of this rule and just reached the place, you can stand in front of the fort and look around. Since, the fort is on a lofty hill, you get a lovely panoramic view of the surroundings from here.

The road to the fort is not very good, but the views from it are amazing. Also, there are no eateries or anything near the fort, so carry your own food and water.
But, carrying on, the fort itself is beautiful. the fort was under renovation when we visited, so we weren't able to see the interior, but the outside was enough to wow us. There was a view point behind the fort, accessible through a slight trek. The view of both the fort and the city from here are wroth the trek. Definitely a must visit for anyone going to Alwar.

Radhika Murthy

212 Followers, 16 Reviews

Best time to visit

N/A

Things to do

History tours, site- seeing, photography

Open Hours

N/A

Budget

Free

Bala Quila Road - Alwar

This road is a part of the tour list of every tourist, especially the ones set out on rigorous road trips. This is a high motorable road and surrounds the famous Bala Quila or Bala Fort. It has just the right amount of adventure and also the right portion of nature's blessing with the beautiful settings around which look even more spectacular when you take the complete panoramic view. There are also a number of restaurants to quench your hunger around.

This is one hidden treasure in the city which seems a bit secluded from the rest. Bala quila is situated on the top of a hill. The road gets lonely after certain distance but if you going in a huge group...this place is a must visit! Its mainly the view from that fort that mesmerises you... with lush green surroundings and peacocks almost everywhere.

Ankita Misra

458 Followers, 70 Reviews

Best time to visit

N/A

Things to do

Road trip

Open Hours

N/A

Budget

N/A

Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri - Alwar

The cenotaph is a monument of love. It was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh, son of Maharaja Bhaktawar Singh in his fathers honour. This is also known as Moosi Rani ki Chhatri, named after one of the mistresses of Maharaja Bhaktawar Singh. Moosi Bai is said to have performed Sati by jumping into the pyre of her husband in this place only. After this incident she was given the status of a Queen. This monument is built outside the main palace. It is a two-storey building made of red sandstone. It is based on many small white marble pillars. There are also many domed pavilions on the ground floor. The Bengali styled arches and the just opposite red and white color just increases the grandeur of the beautiful monument.

This is another beautiful, must visit place in Alwar. The red sandstone and and white marble cenotaph is beautiful because of its architecture and carvings. It is a must visit for anyone who loves architecture and history.